Local nonprofit aims to help disabled residents hit the trails

Adaptive ‘trikes’ on display May 1 in Cuyahoga Falls

by Melissa Martin

When former Hudson resident Betty Sepe suffered a stroke a few years back, she and her husband, Bill, thought their days of cycling were over. 

The couple, who enjoyed riding from the early days of their marriage, said biking was the one activity that always afforded them a way to get out of the house, exercise and enjoy nature. More importantly, it was the one activity they could always count on doing together.

Like many aging couples, the Sepes found themselves on a mission to maintain their favorite pastime despite the onset of a new disability or disease. That’s when a couple who participate in Bill’s Tuesday morning bicycling group in Stow steered him in the direction of the 3Wheel Therapy organization.

The nonprofit, located in North Carolina, has been providing free, therapeutic rides on an adaptive tricycle to anyone who cannot ride a traditional bicycle since 2022. Using the adaptive tricycle, sourced from The Netherlands, 3Wheel Therapy founders Ken and Nicole Kohler have organized a group of volunteer pedalers, called “pilots,” to provide the leg work for the unique bicycle that also has room for a non-pedaling rider. Volunteer cyclists, known as “copilots,” accompany the pilot and rider on a separate bike for safety, and the entire team pedals along the trail with conversation and appreciation of the natural environment. 

The Sepes immediately set out on a quest to purchase one of the adaptive trikes for their own use. However, after recognizing there had to be many more individuals in Northeast Ohio with needs similar to their own, the couple decided to take things one step further by raising funds to purchase two additional adaptive trikes and establishing a local chapter of 3Wheel Therapy in Summit County.

Bill said Craig and Cathy Douglas, the Richfield couple who initially introduced him to 3Wheel Therapy, were the first to help get the local chapter up and running after seeing how much their mother enjoyed her ride on one of the Kohlers’ trikes while visiting North Carolina. 

Following a Zoom call between the Kohlers, Sepes and Douglases, 3Wheel Therapy officially became a registered nonprofit in Ohio last summer under the umbrella of 3Wheel Therapy in North Carolina. 

“We immediately began raising funds and applied for grants to purchase the two adaptive trikes [that] we needed to launch the program in Ohio starting in the spring of 2025,” Bill said. “That goal was met by year’s end, and we are now looking forward to receiving the trikes in late March.”  

The trikes – which cost more than $13,000 each, not including shipping fees – are power assisted, which means pilots are better equipped to climb the hilly terrain in many area parks here in Northeast Ohio. The goal, Bill said, is to continue building an even larger fleet of trikes, and transport trailers, to be able to assist more local individuals with disabilities next season and beyond.

“While the majority of people we are going to help are seniors living in assisted living centers and nursing homes, those aren’t the only people we will be giving rides to,” he said, adding that the organization will also be looking to provide rides to individuals of all ages suffering from conditions that prevent them from operating a traditional bicycle independently.

The Sepes and the Douglases have already recruited approximately 20 local volunteer pilots and copilots. Bill said the volunteers will be trained in early May. 3Wheel Therapy also will be showcasing the trikes and its organization at Adventure Fests in downtown Cuyahoga Falls on Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. The event will take place at the Cuyahoga Falls pavilion and amphitheater at 2085 Front St.

Bill said the organization continues to look for additional volunteers – and not just those interested in becoming pilots or copilots.Those interested in volunteering with 3Wheel Therapy in Ohio are asked to email akronoh@3wheeltherapy.org. Those interested in donating to support the organization can visit 3wheeltherapy.org/support. 

Photo caption: Former Hudson resident Betty Sepe can enjoy biking with the help of her “pilot” -– husband Bill – on a three-wheel adaptive tricycle. The Sepes, who now live in Stow, are part of a local nonprofit bringing this unique riding experience to area seniors and those with disabilities. Photo submitted.